Aware of its geographical position and the current geopolitical context, Estonia has decided to take a step further in his commitment to NATO and in his support for Ukraine. The small Baltic country has been at the forefront of military spending in Europe, allocating 5.4 % of its GDP to Defense, a figure that even exceeds the 5 % goal agreed at the alliance summit in June.
From the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Estonia has reinforced its military strategy with key investments. Lieutenant General Andrus Merilo, commander of the country’s defense forces, summarizes it without surroundings: “The Government has made a brave decision. Our defense must be credible even from Moscow’s perspective.”
That credibility goes through a real capacity for deterrence and attack. “If Russia attacks us, the answer must occur in its own territory”Merilo maintains, which already defended this position in previous interviews. As he explains, the lessons of the Ukrainian conflict have demonstrated the strategic value of hitting in the enemy rear.
In that context, Estonia has acquired six Himars launcher systems, delivered at the end of April, and advances in the development of a multi -layer air defense —A luck of “shield” – capable of responding to threats at different heights and distances. The ability to attack, in Merilo’s words, is “the sword.”
But this military muscle has a high price. Estonia, with a GDP of 39,000 million euros, will invest more than 2,000 million annually in defense during the next four years. To deal with this expense, the government has opted for a combination of cuts, fiscal increases and more indebtedness.
Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has defended these measures in several interviews: “It is a huge investment for a small country, But the only way to obtain sufficient and fast financing is through New loans “. Brussels has allowed some flexibility in debt standards for defense expenses, something that Estonia thinks.
At the same time, citizens face tax increases: VAT increased to 24 % in July and the Income Tax will go to 24 % from next year. The minister insists that the majority of the population understands the effort: “80 % support an armed defense if necessary. The Estonios and the Finns know well how our East neighbor is and what it implies maintaining freedom. ”
“We need to produce our own weapons”
However, the data is not so conclusive. A survey in charge of the Foreign Ministry shows that only 41 % of the Estonian speakers are in favor of allocating 5 % of GDP to defense. Among the Russian minority, support falls to 6 %.
The increase in military spending is also reconfiguring the industrial sector of the country. So far, two thirds of the income of the defense industry They came from exports. But that could change.
“Before, our domestic market was limited. Now there is potential “says Kalev Koidumäe, director of the Association of the Defense and Space Industry of Estonia. Its objective: that local companies not only produce for others, but Also manufacture weapons, explosives and ammunition for national use.
Great aspiration is the development of its own cruise missile. Merilo and Pevkur have mentioned it several times as a strategic objective. The question now is if that project is already underway. Koidumäe, cautious, does not give a definitive answer.
“In case of war, We need to produce our own armament “says Merilo, convinced that technological independence is key to national security. In a country with little margin for error, defense has become a state priority … although not everyone agrees with the price to pay.
